In vitro and in vivo biocompatibility study on laser 3D microstructurable polymers

Films and microstructured scaffolds have been fabricated using direct laser writing out of different polymers: hybrid organic-inorganic ORMOCORE b59, acrylate-based AKRE23, novel organic-inorganic Zr containing hybrid SZ2080, and biodegradable PEG-DA-258. Adult myogenic stem cells were grown on these surfaces in vitro. Their adhesion, growth, and viability test results suggest good potential applicability of the materials in biomedical practice. Pieces of these polymers were implanted in rat’s paravertebral back tissue. Histological examination of the implants and surrounding tissue ex vivo after 3 weeks of implantation was conducted and results show the materials to be at least as biocompatible as surgical clips or sutures. The applied direct laser writing technique seems to offer good future prospects in a polymeric 3D scaffold design for artificial tissue engineering with autologous stem cells.     

Immobilized Stationary Phases for Hydrophobic Interaction Chromatography of Proteins

Immobilized stationary phases for hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) of proteins are prepared by coating macroporous silica Daisogel of different porosity with hydrophobized cellulose derivatives. The polymer adsorbed on the silica surface afterwards was cross-linked with bifunctional compounds. A uniform polymer nanocoating was indicated using the nitrogen gas adsorption method BET and scanning electron microscopy. The absence of non-specific protein sorption of the synthesized adsorbents shows that the developed polymeric coating isolates silica surface from contact with the sorbate. The retention data of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in the HIC mode on different synthesized adsorbents were evaluated. It was shown that sorption capacity of such phases may vary over a wide range and depends mainly on the substitution degree of the immobilized polymer. The dynamic sorption capacity of BSA was up to 63 mg mL⁻¹. The results proved that the new stationary phases have significant promise for the separation and purification of proteins in the HIC mode.

     

Phenoxyhydroxypropylhydroxyethylcellulose—new amphiphilic cellulose derivative

A new amphiphilic cellulose derivative phenoxyhydroxypropylhydroxyethylcellulose of substitution degree up to 0.67 was synthesized by reaction of water-soluble hydroxyethylcellulose with 2,3-epoxypropylphenylether in the presence of sodium hydroxide as a catalyst. The chemical composition of the derivative was confirmed by means of UV, IR- and ¹³C-NMR-spectroscopy. The derivatives with substitution degree up to 0.12 are soluble in water and water–alcohol mixtures. With increasing substitution degree, the polymers lose their water solubility, but still dissolve in water–alcohol mixtures. All products are soluble in aprotic solvents. The effect of the reaction conditions, such as temperature and molar ratios of reaction components, on both the reaction rate and degree of substitution was investigated.